Covers moving, lock, stock and bus

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 290, 13 June 1989, Page 9

Covers moving, lock, stock and bus

The couple at Covers are packing up their bus, their boat, their home and their business and moving to Whakatane where the weather is warmer and, hopefully, the fish are biting.

Pat van Stone and Noel Hayworth have decided the time is right for the move and have arranged to set up their upholstery business in association with an established carpet laying firm. They've also bought a real house, after living in a bus for several years and, more recently, in a tiny flat at the back of their shop in Clyde Street Ohakune. "We're going to miss the people, but not the weather," said Pat last Wednesday while a chilly northeasterly wind was building outside. Pat was born in the area and lived here with her 10 brothers and sisters until she was 18. She and Noel returned 14 years ago, initially working for the ski field. They say upholstery work has been slowly dwindling lately and that they've probably re-covered about 80 per cent of the furniture in the area that people consider worth recovering.

Whakatane having a larger population base should mean more business, say the couple. "Noel has had to take on all sorts of work here in order to keep operating," said Pat. "Yes, I've even covered prams," ads Noel. He is hoping to take on more antique furniture restoration work in Whakatane, work that he enjoys the most. The experience gained from Ohakune Covers will be valuable, which has seen Noel trying his hand at all sorts of heavy duty sewing including making and repairing tarpaulins, boat covers, engine covers and repairing packs and handbags. One part of the business they won't be transferring will be the retail side of things, offering ornaments and various household items. That was built up over a few years as a sideline, but Pat says competing with large city stores, who can sell goods cheaper than she can buy them, is

very difficult. "Apart from the negative aspects we've done extremely well and had a lot of support from people," says Pat. The shop closes on June 23 with a closing down sale operating until then and the couple will load up and leave as soon as they can after that date. They're taking their house bus, which has been parked behind the shop.

"That's for holidays at Mahia," says Pat. One thing they are looking forward to is coming back to Ohakune for weekends with time to see their friends, and with time to ski Turoa. "We haven't had time to ski since we opened Covers, but we've still had to watch visitors, including upholsterers, zoom past on their way up the mountain," says Noel.